"What I" Wednesday: Sick Baby

This is the first in the my full-length WIW post. Hopefully I can keep it up!

Stayed home with my sick little baby today. Nothing serious, but she is all stuffy with watery eyes...it's very sad. Plus, she's teething...double sad.
Anyway, on to the food & drink...

I usually (nothing is certain with a baby!) try to start my morning off with at least one full glass of room temp water with lemon. I hate my water cold, unless it's a really hot summer day.

Spoonful of organic molasses...I did this while I was pregnant because molasses is a good source of iron & because I craved it. So, I'm still kind of in the habit of doing this. Hanging out with baby in the kitchen while my oatmeal and herbal tea heats up.




Breakfast was soaked oatmeal & frozen raspberries with a little cocoa powder & a spoonful of peanut butter.


Vitamin C tea on the porch. It snowed last night but you can't tell from this view. I created this blend several years ago and haven't forgotten it because it's so tasty. My only gripe is that some of the ingredients aren't local. It consists of hibiscus, rosehips, dried orange, white pine needles, lemongrass, and cinnamon. It's a really pretty pink color and makes a great iced tea in the summer. I'm hoping to pass on the vitamin C via Mama-milk to baby.

Vitamin C tea dried, mixed, and ready for packaging & selling.
A much better alternative than orange juice when you're sick.

After a nap, baby entertained herself while I managed to make myself a quick lunch. My lunch usually consists of fruit or a bar on the go... it isn't this elaborate/yummy because I go to work in the afternoon. (And yes, cooking rice and frying an egg is elaborate with a baby.) I took advantage of being home and made brown rice to go with leftover bean chili with a local (see that orange yolk?) fried egg & a little cheddar cheese on top.




Then baby was cranky and it was time for a chamomile bath for the stuffy girl. She likes sucking on the chamomile soaked washcloth. I'm firm believer in transdermally experiencing & administering herbs so she often gets chamomile and/or lavender baths, and they calm her down every time. And afterwards she falls fast asleep. Well, once she's done being upset that I took her out of her bath!

Chamomile is a great, gentle herb for babies that helps induce relaxation, deep sleep, and soothes belly aches. When used as a steam it helps relieve congestion and a blocked nose. It contains chemicals that are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antiparasitic. I use a chamomile tincture to soothe baby's gums when teething too. I just rub a little on her gums with my finger and it reduces inflammation and eases the discomfort (poor baby!). The alcohol acts as an anesthetic. If you were really opposed to the alcohol a glycerin based tincture might work as well, though I've never used one for this purpose.

Afternoon snack...1/2 can coconut water. The other 1/2 was made into a smoothie with blueberries, a banana, wheatgrass, a dash of spirulina & a tiny bit of powdered kelp. Then it was time for a late afternoon walk on the beach. It was a little windy, but warm for January...I was just wearing a sweatshirt.Rosehips finally starting to hibernate for the winter.






Dinner was later than usual, since Papa was tutoring. We had couscous (which I haven't made in years & only recently rediscovered because it is so easy & quick to make), sauteed zucchini frozen from this summer's garden, and marinated tempeh.
The night ended with a bowl of organic honey-corn cereal and coconut milk, a big mug of chamomile tea, and baby falling asleep on Papa. Ahhh :)
Oh, and a beautiful sunset too.